The Urban Politics of Policy Failure

This book contributes to debates in geography and urban studies by analysing the spatial dimensions and politics of urban policy failure. Attention is most often paid to successful urban policies. Policymakers go to great lengths to emulate success by importing policy 'models', implementing best practices, or pursuing 'silver bullet' solutions. Yet, stories of failure are at least as common as those of success. Some policies fail to launch in the first place. Others struggle to deliver their goals. Many collapse under the weight of poor administration, insufficient funding, or political opposition.

This book establishes a vocabulary and set of analytical approaches for researching the spatial dynamics and impacts of urban policy failure. With a geographically diverse set of cases, the authors explore topics including policy (im)mobility, urban policy experiments, and governance initiatives ranging from sustainability to housing to public health, across Europe, North America, and Asia.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the journal Urban Geography.

John Lauermann is Assistant Professor of Geography at Medgar Evers College and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is an urban geographer interested in the planning and socio- spatial impacts of large real estate developments.

Cristina Temenos is Senior Lecturer in Urban Geography and UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in Urban Crisis at the University of Manchester. She is an urban geographer interested in the politics and social processes of making and moving urban policy.